Organizational Affiliation and Powerlessness: A Case Study of the Welfare Poor

It has long been maintained that community action organizations can overcome feelings of powerlessness among the poor. Implicit in this belief are two untested propositions: (1) within the poverty culture there is a negative relationship between organizational affiliation and feelings of powerlessness; and (2) participation in community organizations produces feelings of destiny control. A study of AFDC mothers revealed that members of a welfare client organization were more likely to have feelings of mastery and control than non-members. The fact that members were no different from non-members on key variables related to powerlessness would suggest that more powerful welfare recipients were not selectively recruited into the organization. Although inferences are limited due to the use of cross-sectional data, it would appear that organizational affiliation plays an important role in reducing feelings of powerlessness among the welfare poor.